Kitap 9
6
For Gnaeus Fulvius and Publius Sulpicius, having alreadyThe Consular levies fortunately being at Rome enable the Romans to make a counter-demonstration enrolled one consular army, had bound the men with the usual oath to appear at Rome armed on that very day; and were also engaged on that day in drawing out the lists and testing the men for the other army:Or legion, according to others. But as both Consuls are engaged in the business, it seems reasonable to refer it to the two consular armies of two legions each. whereby it so happened that a large number of men had been collected in Rome spontaneously in the very nick of time. These troops the Consuls boldly led outside the walls, and, entrenching themselves there, checked Hannibal’s intended movement. For the Carthaginians were at first eager to advance, and were not altogether without hope that they would be able to take Rome itself by assault. Hannibal devastates the Campagna. But when they saw the enemy drawn up in order, and learnt before long from a prisoner what had happened, they abandoned the idea of attacking the city, and began devasting the country-side instead, and setting fire to the houses. In these first raids they collected an innumerable amount of booty, for the field of plunder upon which they were entered was one into which no one had ever expected an enemy to set foot.
